Baby-food compositions enhancing visual acuity and methods therefor

ABSTRACT

Baby-food compositions that enhance visual acuity upon feeding to an infant are disclosed. The compositions contain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in an amount of at least about 0.5 mg per gram of the composition. The source of the DHA can be from DHA-enriched coagulated egg yolk solids present in an amount of from about 5% to about 25% (grams/100 grams). The compositions have an organoleptically acceptable smooth texture as a result of contain an acidulant or as a result of being processed by a microcutter. Also disclosed are methods for enhancing visual acuity in infants and methods of providing the compositions to a consumer.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/702,760 filed Nov. 6, 2003, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/460,687 filed Jun. 12, 2003, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/716,518 filed Nov.20, 2000, U.S. Pat. No. 6,579,551, which is a continuation-in-part ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/082,634 filed May 21, 1998, now U.S.Pat. No. 6,149,964. All of the aforementioned applications and patentsare incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

This invention relates generally to food compositions and, moreparticularly, to baby-food compositions comprising docosahexaenoic acid(DHA) and to methods of using the compositions to improve the health anddevelopment of an infant including improving visual acuity.

2. Related Art

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as the ω-3 fatty acid,docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been shown to be required nutrients foroptimal maturation of visual and cortical function in human infants(See, for example, Hoffman et al., Am. J. Clin. Nutr.57(suppl.):807S-12S, 1993; Makrides et al., Lancet 345:1463-1468, 1995).Although the minimum dietary amount of DHA required by infants has notbeen unequivocally established, the Food and Agriculture Organizationand World Health Organization recommend 40 mg/kg body weight for preterminfants and 20 mg/kg for term infants (FAO/WHO Expert Consultation onFats and Oils in Human Nutrition, FAO 1994, Rome, pp. 52-55). For terminfants this is about 70 mg at birth in about 420 calories and 140 mg at6 months of age in about 700 calories.

DHA in an infant's diet promotes visual development and leads toenhanced visual acuity. DHA can be provided to breast-fed infantsthrough their mother's milk, which contains a full-complement of bothω-6 and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Hoffman et al, 1993, supra;Makrides et al., 1995, supra; Innis et al, Am. J. Clin. Nutr 60:347-352,1994). The concentration of DHA in breast milk can, however, varydepending upon the mother's diet and in addition, many infants are notbreast-fed or are breast-fed only for a few weeks and must rely oninfant formula and solid baby food for their nutritional requirements.In the past, infant formulas sold in the United States have notcontained DHA (Jensen et al., J. Pediatr. 131:200-209, 1997).Nevertheless, feeding an infant a formula supplemented with DHA andarachidonic acid after weaning from breast feeding, has been shown toimprove visual acuity (see Birch et al, Am. J. Clin. Nutr 75:570-580,2002; Hoffman et al., J. Pediatr. 142:669-677, 2003). Semi-solid foodsfed to babies have little or no DHA. Intake of fat from such solid foodsdoes not increase plasma DHA levels as does breast feeding (Luukkainenet al., J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 23: 229-234, 1996).

Thus, it would be desirable to increase the dietary intake of long-chainpolyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA in babies. Sources of DHA thathave been added to infant formula to increase the content of DHA includemarine oil, extracted egg-yolk lipids and lipids derived from animaltissue phospholipids (U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,285, Uauy, et al., J. Pediatr.134:612-620, 1994; Makrides, et al., 1995,supra; Carlson, J. Nutr.126:10925-10985, 1996). However, marine oil tends to have a strong fishytaste and odor and thus is unsuitable for adding to infant formula orsolid baby food. In addition, lipids extracted from egg yolk and animaltissue are susceptible to oxidative deterioration. Also, with respect tosemi-solid baby-food preparations, production of fish and/or animal oilsrequires extensive processing, so that the use of such processed oils ina baby-food composition would diverge from the “whole food” and “naturalfood” concepts of baby food which is popular among caregivers.

One dietary source of DHA in adult foods is whole egg yolk or egg yolksolids. Semi-solid baby-food compositions currently or previously soldcommercially in the United States have contained either a small amountof egg-yolk solids, i.e. less than 5%, or a large amount of egg-yolksolids, i.e. about 29% to 30% or more, neither of which is entirelysatisfactory as a food source. Baby-food compositions containing lessthan 5% egg-yolk solids do not provide the amount of nutritionalcomponents available in the compositions having higher percentages ofegg yolk, whereas baby-food compositions with the higher percentages ofegg yolk have not been organoleptically acceptable, i.e., have beenextremely poor in taste and, as a result, are no longer commerciallyavailable. Indeed, it is well known that infants typically reject cookedegg yolk, apparently because of its strong taste and gritty, mealytexture.

Although hens' eggs ordinarily contain only very low amounts of DHA,hens fed a diet enriched with DHA or DHA precursor can contain about89-112 mg DHA per egg yolk or about 10 mg DHA per gram of egg-yolksolids. See Table 1, infra. Such DHA-enriched eggs have been developedas sources of DHA for human consumption (Herber et al., Poultry Sci75:1501-1507, 1996; Oh, U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,879, 1995). Furthermore,infant diets containing DHA-enriched egg yolks increased the amount ofDHA in the blood of formula fed infants up to levels similar to those ofbreast fed infants (Gibson et al., Eggs as a Source of EssentialDocosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) in the Diets of Weaning Infants, RuralIndustries Research & Development Corporation, 1998). Nevertheless,these investigations provided no suggestion as to how such DHA-enrichedeggs might be incorporated into an organoleptically acceptablesemi-solid baby-food preparation or one that is shelf-stable andcommercially viable.

Thus, there remains a continuing need for a semi-solid, shelf-stable,baby-food composition that can be used to improve visual acuity in aninfant. Furthermore, there is a need for a semi-solid baby-foodcomposition that not only can improve visual acuity when fed to aninfant, but is also organoleptically acceptable to an infant.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, the inventors herein have succeeded in discovering thatdietary DHA can be supplemented in breast-fed infants by feeding theinfants semi-solid baby foods containing DHA. Surprisingly, infantsbreast-fed for an average of 9 months who received semi-solid baby foodscontaining DHA had better visual acuity than similar infants receivingsemi-solid baby foods that did not contain substantial amounts of DHA.This improved visual acuity following administration of a DHA-containingsemi-solid baby food has not heretofore, been known or suggested tooccur. The visual acuity improvement is an improvement compared tovisual acuity in infants that receive semi-solid baby foods that do notcontain substantial amounts of DHA. The amount of DHA which produces theenhancement can be about 50 mg DHA or greater per 100 grams of thecomposition.

Accordingly, in various embodiments, the present invention is directedto a semi-solid baby-food composition. The composition comprises DHA inan amount of at least about 50 mg DHA/100 grams of the composition. Thecomposition is in an acceptable, shelf-stable baby-food preparation.

In various embodiments, the present invention is also directed to amethod for improving visual acuity in an infant. The method comprisesfeeding to the infant, a shelf-stable semi-solid baby-food compositioncontaining DHA in an amount of at least about 50 mg DHA/100 grams ofcomposition. The composition is in an acceptable baby-food preparation.

In one aspect this method can comprise providing a semi-solid baby-foodcomposition having a formula selected on the basis of its containing DHAin an amount of at least about 50 mg DHA/100 grams of composition in anacceptable, shelf-stable baby-food preparation. The baby-foodcomposition is fed to the infant to produce the improvement in visualacuity.

In various embodiments, the present invention is also directed to amethod for a providing to a consumer, a baby-food composition thatimproves visual acuity in an infant. The method can comprise providing ashelf-stable semi-solid baby-food composition having a formula selectedon the basis of its containing DHA in an amount of at least about 50 mgDHA/100 grams of composition in an acceptable, shelf-stable baby-foodpreparation. The baby-food composition is then sold to the consumer.

Improved visual acuity in the various embodiments of the presentinvention, can be shown from an enhancement of visual acuity in infantsfed the composition from an age of about 6 months to an age of about 12months in comparison to visual acuity in infants fed a composition notsubstantially containing DHA, from an age of about 6 months to an age ofabout 12 month.

The acceptability of the baby-food compositions in the variousembodiments of the present invention, includes the organolepticacceptability, which can be measured, for example by determining thevalue on a nine-point hedonic scale. A composition is considered,herein, to be organoleptically acceptable if the Appearance/Color,Flavor, and Mouthfeel/Texture of the composition each score at leastabout five or greater on a nine-point hedonic scale.

In various embodiments of the present invention, the baby-foodcomposition can comprise coagulated egg yolk solids in an amount of fromabout 5% to about 25% (grams/100 grams) of the composition, i.e. fromabout 5 grams egg yolk solids per 100 grams composition to about 25grams egg yolk solids per 100 grams composition. The coagulated egg yolksolids that are incorporated into the composition can contain DHA in anamount of at least about 9 mg DHA/gram of egg yolk solids, therebysubstantially providing the DHA present in the composition.

The organoleptic acceptability in terms of Mouthfeel/Texture can beachieved by adding an acidulant or by processing the baby-foodcomposition with a microcutter. Either approach can produce a smoothMouthfeel/Texture scoring at least 5 on a nine-point hedonic scale. Theacidulant when present, can be an acid, a cultured food substancecontaining lactic acid, or a fruit or vegetable component whichcontributes acidity to the composition. Incorporated acids can includecitric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid or vinegar and combinationsthereof. Suitable fruits or vegetables include juices or purees ofapple, apricot, banana, beets, blueberry, carrots, celery, cherry,clementine, cress, elderberry, grape, grapefruit, lemon, mango, orange,papaya, peach, pear, pineapple, plum, raspberry, rhubarb, sorrel,strawberry, sweet potato, tomato, and combinations thereof.

In various embodiments, the present invention is also directed to ababy-food composition comprising from about 5% to about 25% coagulatedegg-yolk solids (grams/100 grams) in absence of added acidulant. Thecomposition is in an acceptable, shelf-stable baby-food preparation forwhich Appearance/Color, Flavor, and Mouthfeel/Texture scores on anine-point hedonic scale are each at least about five. In variousaspects of this embodiment, the use of a microcutter achieves a smoothMouthfeel/Texture scoring five or greater on a nine-point hedonic scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is based upon the discovery that a semi-solid babyfood containing DHA in an amount of at least about 50 mg DHA per 100grams composition, can improve the visual acuity of breast-fed infantsreceiving the composition. The visual acuity improvement is animprovement compared to visual acuity in infants that receive semi-solidbaby foods that do not contain substantial amounts of DHA.

Semi-solid compositions are distinguished from liquid compositions suchas infant formula or juices and are characterized in that they have ahigh viscosity and possess qualities of both a liquid and a solid.Vegetable and fruit purees are typical examples of semi-solidcompositions. It is also possible for the compositions of the presentinvention to be in dried form which can be reconstituted to produce asemi-solid baby-food composition. Such dried and reconstituted productsare intended to be included within the meaning of the term semi-solidbaby-food composition.

The term baby or infant as used herein is intended to mean a child inthe first period of life generally considered to be in the age range offrom birth to about four years.

An acceptable baby-food composition or an acceptable baby-foodpreparation is intended to encompass semi-solid food preparations whichcan be fed to a baby or an infant and meeting all of the regulatory andorganoleptic requirements for such compositions.

In various embodiments, the compositions of the present invention areshelf stable. By shelf stable with respect to a baby-food composition,it is meant that the composition can be stored un-refrigerated on theshelf for a period of time and remain suitable for consumption.Shelf-stable foods are processed and packaged in a manner such thatmicroorganisms are inhibited from growing in the product atnon-refrigerated temperatures of storage over 41° F. (4° C.) forextended periods.

Although the compositions of the present invention are referenced hereinas baby-food compositions, the compositions can, of course, be consumedby other population groups such as, for example, individuals who aresick or those who have special nutritional requirements, such as, forexample, geriatric individuals.

In various embodiments, egg yolks can serve as the source of DHA in thebaby-food compositions of the present invention. The baby-foodcompositions can comprise coagulated egg yolk solids in amounts of fromabout 5% to about 25%, from about 6% or about 7% to about 20%, fromabout 10% to about 15%, from about 12% to about 13% of the composition.

The term “about” is intended to include small variances, for example 0.5percentage points above and below a given value. Thus, in variousembodiments, a value referenced, for example, as 15% can mean 14.5% to15.5%.

The term egg-yolk solids is intended to mean the solids present innatural egg yolk or in dried egg-yolk products such as those commonlyused as ingredients in the food industry. The egg-yolk solids can be inthe yolk of a whole hen's egg as separated from the shell or in an eggyolk separated from the whole hen's egg or in a purified form in whichsome or all of the water has been removed from the egg yolk. The amountof solids in egg yolk from hens' eggs and dried egg-yolk products, canbe determined using known methods, and are typically about 46% and about96%, respectively.

As noted above, certain baby-food compositions containing egg yolk arecurrently commercially available while other baby-food compositionscontaining egg yolk were available in the past but are no longeravailable. However, none of these compositions are believed to havecontained from about 5% to about 25% egg-yolk solids (see Example 1below).

In certain embodiments, the egg-yolk solids contain high levels of DHAas a result of being produced from eggs laid by hens fed a diet enrichedwith DHA or DHA precursors such as one containing DHA from marine algae,fish oil or other source of DHA or alpha-linolenic acid from flaxseed orcanola or soybean. (See, for example, Herber et al., 1996, supra; Oh,1995, supra; Abril et al., International Conference on The Return of(ω-3 Fatty Acids Into the Food Supply: I. Land-Based Animal FoodProducts and Their Health Effects, Sep. 18-19, 1997; Scheideler et al.,International Conference on The Return of ω-3 Fatty Acids Into the FoodSupply: I. Land-Based Animal Food Products and Their Health Effects,Sep. 18-19, 1997). Such DHA-enriched eggs are commercially available andtheir yolk solids can typically contain from about 9 to about 19 mg DHAper gram. The amount of DHA in egg-yolk solids can be measured usingmethods known in the art (see Example 2 below). In various embodiments,the amount of coagulated egg yolk solids in the baby-food compositioncan be from about 5% to about 25%. A composition containing 5% egg yolksolids which, in turn, contain about 9 mg to about 19 mg DHA per gramwould contain about 0.45 mg to about 0.95 mg DHA per gram composition.Thus, the DHA containing eggs can be used to produce a baby-foodcomposition having a minimum of about 0.5 mg to about 1 mg DHA per gramcomposition.

Preferably, the source of DHA-enriched egg yolk and/or the amount ofDHA-enriched egg-yolk solids is selected such that the baby-foodcomposition comprises sufficient DHA to provide the minimum dailyrecommended amount of about 20 mg/kg/day or about 70 mg for the newbornand about 140 mg for the 6 month infant in one or two servings. Forexample, a typical jar of commercial baby food for six month infantscontains four ounces or 113 grams of baby-food composition. DHA can,thus, be present in an amount of 70 mg/113 grams (0.6 mg/gm) or 140mg/113 grams (1.2 mg/gm). For convenience, the composition can also beprepared to contain 150 mg DHA per 100 g of baby food, which wouldamount to 165 mg DHA per jar. This amount of DHA can be provided byDHA-enriched egg yolks containing 12 mg of DHA per gram egg-yolk solidsand the composition would thus contain 14 grams egg-yolk solids per jaror about 12.5% (gm/100 gm) egg-yolk solids.

Feeding the DHA-containing baby-food compositions of the presentinvention to an infant can improve the visual acuity of the infant. Thisimprovement in visual acuity can occur following feeding the infant froman age of about six months to an age of about 12 months. Feeding can beon a daily basis or on an intermittent basis such as, for example, fortwo or three days per week. Feeding can also occur for a portion of theperiod of from about six months to about 12 months, for example, fromsix months to about 9 months. Moreover, feeding an infant semi-solidfood can begin earlier than 6 months, for example at 4 or 5 months oreven less, depending upon the baby's development. For such infants thatare ready to consume semi-solid baby food, visual acuity can be improvedby feeding the DHA-containing semi-solid food compositions at such timesearlier than 6 months.

The improvement in visual acuity can be shown upon measuring visualacuity over the period of feeding the infant the compositions of thepresent invention. Visual acuity can be measured by any of a number ofmethods known in the art (see, for example, Neuringer, Am. J. Clin.Nutrition, 71:256S-267S, 2000). One such well known method of assessingvisual development in an infant is the measuring of sweep visual-evokedpotential (VEP) acuity. (Birch et al., 2002, supra; Birch et al.,Pediatr. Res., 44:201-209, 1998; Norcia, Vision Res., 25:1399-1408,1985.)

The egg yolk containing compositions of the present invention are inacceptable baby-food formulations. The terms acceptable baby-foodformulation are used interchangeably herein with the terms acceptablebaby-food composition and acceptable baby-food preparation. Anacceptable baby-food formulation is one suitable for feeding to a babyand included within the meaning of the terms acceptable baby-foodformulation is any regulatory agency requirements for foods intended forconsumption by infants. For example, lactic acid and malic acid havebeen reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration and determined not tobe generally recognized as safe for use in baby foods for infants in thefirst year of life. (See 21 C.F.R. § 184.1061, § 184.1069). Thus, theseacids would not be incorporated into an acceptable baby-foodformulation. On the other hand, the use of citric acid and phosphoricacid have been determined to be generally recognized as safe (see 21C.F.R. §184.1033, §182.1073). Therefore, these acids can be incorporatedinto an acceptable baby-food formulation.

In addition, an acceptable baby-food formulation is one whose overallcombination of organoleptic characteristics, i.e., taste, mouthfeel ortexture, odor and color or appearance, is sufficiently satisfactory thatthe infant will consume the formulation and the caregiver will serve theformulation to the infant. For example, infants are known to display anaversion to bitter tastes at a very early age and to strong flavors suchas can be present in some vegetables (Trahms, in Nutrition in Infancyand Childhood, Pipes and Trahms, Eds, Mosby, St. Louis, 1993, pp.181-194; Kajiura et al, Developmental Psychobiol 25:375-386; Rosensteinet al., Child Develop 59:1555-1568, 1988; Lowenberg, in Nutrition inInfancy and Childhood, Pipes and Trahms, Eds, Mosby, St. Louis, 1993,pp. 165-180; Brooks, The Wall St J, Dec. 4, 1996 pp A1, A6; Lawless, J.Am. Diet. Assoc. 85:577-585, 1985; Ashbrook et al, J. Nutrition Ed 17:5,6, 46, 1985; Beal Pediatrics 20:448-456, 1957). Therefore, an acceptableformulation of a baby-food composition can be a formulation that isorganoleptically acceptable to an infant. For example, the formulationcan be a baby-food composition that does not have a strong bitter tasteor a strong flavor such as can be present in some vegetablepreparations.

An acceptable baby-food formulation will also have a texture that isacceptable to the baby. For example, foods that are too dry or grittyare usually unacceptable to infants. In general, acceptable baby-foodformulations will be smooth in texture. In addition, younger infantstypically prefer food that is soft and homogenous. For older infants,however, a nonhomogenous texture may be desired. Because of suchpreferences, baby foods are typically produced in different forms,depending on the age of the intended consumer. For example, BEECH-NUTStage 1 products are intended to be consumed by babies from about threemonths of age. BEECH-NUT Stage 2 products, which are strained and willpass through a 0.050″ orifice, are intended to be consumed by infantsfrom about six months of age. Infants of about nine months of age andolder are the intended consumers of BEECH-NUT Stage 3 Junior products,which have chunky components that will pass through a ⅜ inch screen.

Preferably, the desired texture can be achieved using the whole foodconcept by mixing whole food preparations having the desired texture.The whole food concept involves minimal preparation of food componentssuch as by cleaning, peeling and comminuting the food as distinguishedfrom further processing such as by drying, milling into a flour and/orfurther refining.

Moreover, the color and appearance of the formulation are such that theinfant or the adult caregiver will not reject the formulation.Acceptable colors tend to be light rather than dark. Preferably,acceptable color is achieved using the whole food concept in which foodcomponents are added that produce the desired color for the overallmixture. The appearance of the formulation can also be smooth andhomogenous.

In addition, the composition is not expected to produce adverse sideeffects such as acid indigestion, diarrhea, allergic responses or thelike.

Testing a baby-food composition for organoleptic acceptability can bereadily performed by the skilled artisan using routine methods such asthose described in the Example below. For example, since the adultperception of bitter tastes closely follows that in the infant (Lawless,1985, supra) and since food preferences or aversions of the adult caringfor the infant are known to influence which foods are offered to theinfant (Trahms, in Nutrition in Infancy and Childhood, Pipes and Trahms,Eds, Mosby, St. Louis, 1993, pp. 181-194; Brooks, 1985, supra), it ispossible to conduct acceptability testing in adults. Standard testingprocedures for sensory evaluation are known in the art including, inparticular, a 9-point hedonic scale as described in Example 9 below (seeStone and Sidel in Sensory Evaluation Practices, Academic Press,Orlando, 1985, pp 58-86, 227-252). Sensory characteristics that can betested include appearance and color, flavor, and mouthfeel and texture.Compositions scoring above neutral on a 9-point hedonic scale, i.e. 5.0or greater, for at least one, more preferably two and most preferablyall sensory characteristics of Appearance/Color, Flavor andMouthfeel/Texture are considered to be acceptable with respect to thoseattributes.

Testing for organoleptic acceptability in infants could be conducted,for example, after obtaining informed consent from parents in adouble-blind, randomized controlled study. Infants of ages from about 4months to about 12 months would be fed a series of baby-foodcompositions prepared containing, for example, 15% egg-yolk solids or areference baby-food preparation known to be accepted by the infants suchas, for example, BEECH-NUT and GERBER vanilla custard pudding productsor GERBER cherry vanilla pudding product. The adult feeding the infantwould then record acceptability and tolerance including amount offered,amount consumed and amount refused by the babies. Acceptability ratingwould be performed by methodology known in the art (for example, Stoneand Sidel, 1985, supra). The results would be analyzed and compositionsshowing acceptance comparable to or greater than that of the referencebaby food would be considered organoleptically suitable for use as aninfant food.

The baby-food compositions of the present invention can also contain anaqueous liquid. The aqueous liquid is added in an amount that confers asmooth texture on the composition as a whole. Preferred aqueous liquidsinclude water, fruit juices such as apple juice, grape juice, orangejuice, and the like and vegetable juices such as carrot juice, beetjuice, celery juice, tomato juice and the like. Fruit juices and somevegetable juices can also be a source of sugars for the composition.

In various embodiments, the present invention can have an acceptableMouthfeel/Texture. An acceptable Mouthfeel/Texture can be achieved invarious embodiments by addition of an acidulant or by processing thecomposition with a microcutter to produce a composition with a smoothMouthfeel/Texture. In the various embodiments containing an acidulantproduces a smooth Mouthfeel/Texture. Furthermore, the addition ofacidulant to achieve a pH of 4.6 or less permits the sterilization ofthe composition at a temperature of 212° F. rather than at 250° F.temperature required for compositions having a higher pH. This lowerretorting temperature not only simplifies the manufacturing procedure,it improves the color of the processed baby-food composition and reducesany heat-induced breakdown of its nutrients compared to retorting at250° F. temperature required for compositions having a higher pH. Theacidulant is, thus, preferably present in an amount sufficient toproduce a post-processing pH of 4.6 or less and most preferably in therange of between 4.2 and 4.3.

The acidulant of the present invention can be any acid permitted underapplicable regulatory agency rules for use in infant foods. Inparticular phosphoric acid, citric acid, acetic acid or vinegar, andcombinations thereof are suitable for use in an acceptable baby-foodpreparation. As an alternative to or in addition to such acids, theacidulant can be comprised of a cultured food substance containinglactic acid as illustrated below in Examples 11 and 16 or one or morefruit or vegetable components that contribute acidity to the compositionas illustrated below in Examples 4, 14, 15 and 16. Examples of culturedfood substances containing lactic acid include, but are not limited toyogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, sauerkraut and the like. Examples ofsuitable fruits or vegetables include, but are not limited to apple,apricot, banana, beets, blueberry, carrots, celery, cherry, clementine,cress, elderberry, grape, grapefruit, lemon, mango, orange, papaya,peach, pear, pineapple, plum, raspberry, rhubarb, sorrel, strawberry,sweet potato, tomato, and the like, and combinations thereof. The fruitor vegetable component is preferably in the form of a puree or juice.The term juice as used herein is intended to include juices andconcentrates thereof.

The acid should not make the composition organoleptically unacceptablenor should the acid deleteriously affect the infant in any way.Phosphoric acid, although acceptable in many embodiments, is sometimesless desirable for use in a baby-food compositions of the inventionbecause it adds additional phosphorus to the diet as do the egg-yolksolids. Thus the use of phosphoric acid should be in amounts such thatthe total of phosphorus in the composition as a whole does not result inconsumption by the infant exceeding the recommended daily intake forphosphorus of 500 mg. For preparations in which the composition as awhole would provide a daily intake of great than 500 mg phosphorusbecause the egg-yolk solids or other components in addition to thephosphoric acid contribute excessive amounts of phosphorus, phosphoricacid would not be an acceptable acidulant.

The acidulant in the form of an added acid can also improve the taste ofthe composition, particularly, when in combination with a fruit puree orjuice in the composition. Thus, the tartness of the acid can tend toprovide a balance with fruit components or with added sugar in thecomposition.

In various embodiments of the present invention, the baby-foodcomposition need not contain an acidulant and, instead, suchcompositions are processed to have a smooth Mouthfeel/Texture using amicrocutter device. Absence of an acidulant is characterized in that thepH of baby-food compositions not containing an acidulant, is greaterthan 4.6 and, in certain embodiments, 5.0 or greater or 6.0 or greater.Numerous microcutter devices suitable for producing a smoothMouthfeel/Texture are commercially available. Such devices include, forexample, Stephan microcutter devices such as Microcut Model Nos. MC-10,MC-12, MC-15, MCH-20, MCH-D-60A, MCH-D-90, MC-100D, MCH-D-100-II,MCH-150, MCH-D-150 and MCH-D-180 (A. Stephan u. Sohne GmbH Co. KGStephanplatz 2 D-31789 Hameln, Germany); Karl Schnell microcutterdevices such as Model Nos. FD 225/130, FD225/100, FD-6, FD2/50 and FD2/70 (Karl Schnell Inc., P.O. Box 49, New London, Wis.); CFS/Wolfkingmicrocutter devices such as the Wolfking Stainless Steel MicrocutterModel MC-225 (CFS B.V., P.O. Box 1, 5760 AA BAKEL, Beekakker 11, 5761 ENBAKEL, The Netherlands); Urschell microcutter devices such as theUrschell Comitrol Processors with micro-cut cutting head, Model Nos.MG-1300, MG-1500, MG-1700 and MG-2100 (Urschel Laboratories, Inc., 2503Calumet Avenue, Valparaiso, Ind.); Panasonic microcutter devices such asModel Nos. MX-897GM and MX-896TM Microcutter Blender with Stainlesssteel microcutter blades (Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd, HomeAppliances Group, 2-2-8 Hinode-cho, Toyonaka City, Osaka, Japan5610821); the Hamilton Beach BlendMaster blender (234 Spring Rd.,Washington, N.C. 27889); and any similar microcutter device so long asthe device produces a composition with a smooth Mouthfeel/Texture.

The baby-food compositions of the invention can contain otheringredients that enhance the acceptability of the composition to aninfant. For example, fruit(s) and/or vegetable(s), including purees andjuices thereof that serve as acidulants as noted above can also enhancethe taste or flavor acceptability of the composition. As also notedabove, the juices can serve to add water as can purees to a lesserextent. Both purees and juices can contribute sugars and additionaldesirable flavor components to the composition. Examples of suitablefruits that can be incorporated in puree or juice form include apples,pears, bananas, pineapples, strawberries, mangos, papayas and the like.Vegetables that can be incorporated in puree form can include sweetpotato, beets, carrots, celery and the like.

Additionally, filler substances such as corn starch, rice flour, wheatflour, nonfat dry milk and the like can be included in the compositionas can flavoring agents such as sugars, spices and the like. Inparticular, cinnamon can be included in the composition.

Other substances can additionally be added to the composition to improvethe flavor of the composition. For example, zinc salts such as zincsulfate or zinc chloride can be added to neutralize the sulfurous odorand taste of cooked egg yolk. In addition, the added zinc can provide anutritionally significant source of zinc. In addition to zinc, othernutritional supplements such as vitamins and/or minerals can also beincorporated into the composition.

In certain embodiments, color agents, processing agents or preservativeagents can also be added in order to improve color, taste, shelf lifeand the like.

Additional components of baby-food compositions within the scope of thepresent invention can include, for example, pasta preparations, meatpreparations such as turkey or beef, other protein-containing foods andthe like.

Preferably, the formulation is based upon a whole food concept such thatindividual constituents conferring the desired properties on thecomposition are prepared foods rather than dried and/or refinedsubstances or artificially prepared substances. The whole foods areprepared such as by cleaning, peeling, and comminuting the whole food orpart thereof. Examples of whole food components of baby-foodcompositions are fruit juices that can be used as a natural source ofsugars and vegetables such as white carrots, which can be used asfillers instead of a starch substance (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No.5,723,166).

The present invention also provides a method of making the acceptablebaby-food compositions described above. The method involves combiningthe desired quantity of egg-yolk solids, in the form of whole egg yolkor dried egg yolk or the like, with an aqueous liquid, and blending toproduce a mixture of smooth consistency. The aqueous liquid can be wateror any of a number of fruit juices such as, for example, apple juice,grape juice, orange juice, and the like or vegetable juices such ascarrot juice, beet juice, celery juice, tomato juice and the like. Ifdried egg yolks are used, an the aqueous liquid component is in anamount sufficient to disperse adequately the egg-yolk solids in themixture. The amount of egg-yolk solids in the composition as a whole canbe from about 5% to about 25%, from about 6% or 7% to about 25%, fromabout 10% to about 20%, from about 12% to about 18%, from about 12% toabout 13% or about 15%. The method can further comprise adding anacidulant to adjust the pH to a value of about 4.6 or less. Theacidulant can be added to the initial mixture or after blending theinitial mixture. The acidulant is one that is acceptable for use in ababy-food formulation such as citric acid, phosphoric acid, vinegar orcombinations thereof. As an alternative to or in addition to such acids,the acidulant can be comprised of a cultured food substance containinglactic acid as illustrated below in Examples 11 and 16 or one or morefruit or vegetable components that contribute acidity to the compositionas illustrated below in Examples 4, 14, 15 and 16.

The blending can be accomplished by manual stirring, a mixing machine, ablender or the like and this step can be performed before or after theaddition of any additional ingredients. Such blending mixes theingredients and ultimately produces a composition of smooth consistency.

Where additional ingredients are added to the composition such as a zincsalt, a fruit or vegetable puree or juice, a spice or a fillersubstance, such additions can be made at the time the egg-yolk solidsand aqueous liquid are combined or at any appropriate time thereafter.

The blended egg-yolk mixture is then treated to coagulate the protein inthe egg-yolk mixture. This coagulating step can be accomplished byheating the mixture at a temperature, preferably greater than 170° F.and more preferably at least 175° F. Complete coagulation of the eggprotein can be ensured by heating at 180° F. to 190° F. for 5 minutes.Alternative methods can also be used to perform the coagulating stepsuch as, for example, by microwaving the mixture.

The coagulated protein is then dispersed by homogenizing the coagulatedmixture to a smooth consistency. Such homogenizing can be done, forexample by using a blender. The homogenized mixture can then be placedin one or more containers, followed by sealing and heating thecontainers under conditions suitable for producing a shelf-stablecomposition. Such conditions can be readily determined by the skilledartisan and typically involve retorting for about 30 minutes at either212° F., for compositions having a pH of 4.6 or lower, or at 250° F. forcompositions having a pH greater than 4.6.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

The baby-food compositions of the present invention have application foruse as semi-solid preparations for infants. The compositions providenutritionally significant amounts of DHA in the infant's diet, which isbeneficial for visual and neural development in the infant. Inparticular, the compositions are believed to enhance visual developmentin an infant. Because the compositions contain a significant amount ofegg-yolk solids, they provide a food naturally rich in protein, vitaminsand minerals, as well as containing some polyunsaturated fatty acids.When the egg-yolk solids derive from hen's eggs obtained from chickensfed diets high in DHA or DHA precursors, infants fed on the compositionsare believed to develop visual acuity that is at least as good as thatof breast-fed infants.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the followingexamples. Other embodiments within the scope of the claims herein willbe apparent to one skilled in the art from consideration of thespecification and the examples that follow or from practice of theinvention as disclosed herein.

EXAMPLE 1

This example illustrates commercial baby-food compositions containingless than 5% or more than 25% egg-yolk solids.

The compositions of old and current products were obtained from thefollowing publications: BEECH-NUT Ingredient Listings from 1977-1985;GERBER Ingredients Publ. 55-8 Rev. 477 and Publ. 55-8 Rev. 785 foringredients and Publ. 55-85 Rev. 185, Publ. 55-90 Rev. 185, Publ. 55-90Rev. 681 for nutrient values per 100 grams; and BEECH-NUT NutritiveValues & Ingredient Listing, Publ. 1977, Publ. 10/1983.

Calculations below are based upon an egg yolk containing about 46% totalsolids, i.e., about 8 grams total egg-yolk solids for a typical 17 gramegg yolk and fat constituting approximately 50 to 55% of total eggsolids or about 4 grams of fat per average egg yolk.

Two egg-yolk products containing high amounts of egg yolk werecommercially available in the 1970's but are no longer marketed. Therewere the BEECH-NUT and GERBER “Egg Yolks” products.

The BEECH-NUT “Egg Yolks” product contained egg yolks and water forproper consistency and provided, per 100 grams, 194 calories, 9.6 gramsof protein, 18.5 grams of fat and 29.9 grams of total egg-yolk solids.This product contained 65 grams egg yolk per 100 g.

The GERBER “Egg Yolks” product contained egg yolks and water necessaryfor preparation and provided, per 100 grams, 199 calories, 10.2 grams ofprotein, 17.4 grams of fat and 29.0 grams of total solids, as egg-yolksolids. It is believed that the BEECH-NUT and GERBER Egg Yolk productsare no longer marketed because the compositions were organolepticallyunacceptable to babies and as a result were not purchased by the adultcaregivers.

BEECH-NUT “Cereal Egg Yolks & Bacon” product contained water, farina,smoked bacon, dried egg yolks, modified cornstarch, nonfat dry milk, oatflour and smoked yeast. This product provided, per 100 grams, 86calories, 2.3 grams of protein, 5.5 grams of fat and 15.3 grams of totalsolids. The content of egg yolk was 3.5% dried egg yolk whichcontributed 3.33 grams of egg-yolk solids per 100 grams. GERBER “CerealEgg Yolk Bacon Dinner” contained water, egg-yolk solids, bacon, nonfatdry milk, rice flour, wheat flour, corn flour and sugar. The productprovided, per 100 grams, 66 calories, 2.4 grams of protein, 2.8 grams offat and 13.3 grams of total solids. The amount of egg-yolk solidspresent was estimated to be about 3 grams of egg-yolk solids per 100grams and, in any case, less than 5 grams of egg-yolk solids per 100grams. This calculation is based upon the presumption that the non-eggingredients including the bacon contribute in part to the fat content ofthe composition.

GERBER “Cereal & Egg Yolk” contained water necessary for preparation,nonfat milk, egg yolk, wheat flour, corn flour, modified corn starch,sugar and iodized salt.

This product provided, per 100 grams, 55 calories, 2.3 grams of protein,1.7 grams of fat and 11.8 grams of total solids. The total fat presentis 1.7 grams per 100 grams which would be contributed by less than 4grams of egg-yolk solids per 100 grams.

GERBER and BEECH-NUT desserts contain egg yolks as an ingredient and atotal of 1 gram of fat per 100 grams or less, which indicates less than2 grams of egg-yolk solids per 100 grams.

EXAMPLE 2

This example illustrates the analytical testing of commercial eggsobtained from hens fed diets enriched with DHA or DHA precursors.

Organic eggs from hens fed a DHA-enriching diet were obtained from TheCountry Hen, Hubbardstown, Mass. 01452 and from Pilgrim's PrideCorporation, Pittsburg, Tex. 73686. For comparative purposes, commercialdried egg yolks from hens not receiving DHA-enriching diet were alsoanalyzed.

Whole eggs were used for convenience and because egg white does notinterfere with analytical testing for fatty acids. Fatty acids arepresent almost exclusively in the yolk and the egg whites contain onlynegligible amounts of fat.

Standard AOAC analytical methods were used to quantitatively determinethe fatty acid content in the whole eggs and in the dried egg-yolkcontrol. (see Shepard, Lipid Manual, Methodology Appropriate for FattyAcid-Cholesterol Analysis, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Div. ofNutrition, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 200 “C” St. SW,Washington, D.C. 20204, September, 1989; Official Methods of Analysis ofthe AOAC, (1995) 16^(th) Ed., Methods 983.23 locator #45.4.02, 969.33Locator #41.1.28, 994.15 Locator #41.1.35A, and 996.01; Ratnayaka, JAOAC International 78: 783-802, 1995). Briefly the AOAC method used wasas follows:

Lipids were extracted and then saponified using alcoholic sodiumhydroxide. The fatty acids were then esterified in methanol, with borontrifluoride as catalyst, taken up in heptane and injected on a gaschromatograph with a flame ionization detector. The percentages ofindividual fatty acid methyl esters were determined from a set ofstandards containing known concentrations of prepared methyl esters ofselected fatty acids. The concentration of each fatty acid methyl esterwas calculated as either equivalent triglyceride or fatty acid. Totalfatty acids were calculated as the sum of all fatty acids expressed astriglycerides and the value reported as a percentage, i.e., grams per100 grams of sample. Individual fatty acids were expressed as apercentage of total fatty acids. The analysis was based upon a 2-gramsample and the lowest confidence level for total fatty acids was 0.1%whereas that for individual fatty acids was 0.004%. Results are shown inTable 1. TABLE 1 Dried Country Pilgrim's Pride Egg Yolk Hen Eggs* eggs*Edible Weight (g) 51.1 58.4 Fatty acids (g/100 g) 49.44 7.3 9.4 Fattyacids (g/egg) 4.4 5.5 DHA (mg/egg) 89.1 112.2 Fatty Acid (% of totalfatty acids) myristic (C_(14:0)) 0.38 0.38 0.38 pentadecanoic (C_(15:0))‡ 3.12 ‡ palmitic (C_(16:0)) 26.04 23.41 21.40 margaric (C_(17:0)) 0.230.34 0.29 stearic (C_(18:0)) 9.24 9.48 8.53 palmitoleic (C_(16:1ω7))2.68 1.79 1.50 margaroleic (C_(17:1ω9)) 0.17 ‡ ‡ elaidic (C_(18:1ω9))0.32 ‡ ‡ oleic (C_(18:1ω9)) 40.61 30.0 29.63 vaccenic (C_(18:1ω7)) 1.511.81 1.76 eicosanoic (C_(20:1ω9)) 0.24 0.21 0.20 nervonic (C_(24:1ω9)) ‡‡ ‡ eicosadienoic (C_(20:2ω?)) 0.16 0.26 0.33 linoleic (C_(18:2ω6))12.68 22.84 27.79 gamma linolenic (C_(18:3ω6)) 0.10 ‡ ‡ homo-gamma-lin(C_(20:3ω6)) 0.22 0.28 0.18 arachidonic (C_(20:4ω6)) 1.76 1.28 1.42alpha-linolenic (C_(18:3ω3)) 0.25 1.66 2.37 Eicosapentaenoic(C_(20:5ω3)) ‡ ‡ 0.17 Docosapentaenoic (C_(22:5ω3)) ‡ 0.26 0.20Docosahexaenoic (C_(22:6ω3)) 0.40 2.05 2.04 trans isomers (C_(18:2))0.14 ‡ ‡ Unknown 2.22 2.75 1.22*Values are expressed as means (n = 16 for Country Hen eggs and n = 12for Pilgrim's Pride eggs)‡ At or below the detection limit of 0.10%

As can be seen in Table 1, eggs from hens fed a DHA-enriching diet hadsubstantially higher levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) than dried eggyolk from hens not fed a DHA-enriching diet.

EXAMPLE 3

This example illustrates the testing for the amount of water and acidneeded in an egg yolk composition suitable for use in a baby foodcomposition.

Six sample compositions were prepared by dispersing varying amounts ofdried egg yolk in water at room temperature. A preliminary test of acidrequirements was done by adding white vinegar standardized to 5% acidityto sample 7927E to 20% total volume. The samples were placed in aboiling/simmering water bath for about 20 minutes. The samples withgreater amounts of dried egg yolk looked like souffle after cooking. Thesamples were then blended with a hand blender into a smooth mixture andtasted. The results are shown in Table 2. TABLE 2 Dried Total Sample Eggyolk (g) weight (g) Observations HK7927A 15.2 99.8 before cooking, verythin; after cooking, very much free fluid. HK7927B 20.4 101.7 beforecooking, very thin; after cooking, very loose. HK7927C 24.4 100.0 beforecooking, very thin; after cooking, soft form. HK7927D 30.5 99.6 beforecooking, thicker than A, B, or C; after cooking, poor taste,unattractive, no specific dislike, except generally distasteful; puffy,texture soft and wet enough to blend. HK7927E 34.8 + 102.9 beforecooking, pretty thick; vinegar after cooking, puffy, some vinegar tastebut otherwise a nice clean taste; a bit thin after stirring, not overlyviscous. HK7927F 34.9 99.4 before cooking, pretty thick; after cooking,unpleasant taste, nothing specific except generally offensive egg taste;very dry texture, unusable preparation.

As can be seen from the table, lowering the pH yielded a better physicaland organoleptic result. The two best samples, HK7927D and HK7927E, werefurther evaluated as described below.

EXAMPLE 4

This example illustrates the effects of combining the egg-yolkpreparations of Example 3 with a fruit or vegetable puree in the absenceor presence of added acid.

Sample HK7927E from Example 3 was mixed with 65 g of sweet potato pureeto test a “low acid” food approach.

The HK7927E sample mixed with applesauce was a much smoother productwith less egg taste. The mixture of HK7927D with sweet potato puree didnot taste as appealing. These results suggest that adding acid in theform of a fruit puree yields a smoother and better tasting composition.

EXAMPLE 5

This Example illustrates the effects of adding varying quantities ofvinegar to egg-yolk preparations on pH and physical and organolepticqualities of the composition.

Twenty grams of dried egg yolk were dispersed in 80 g of watercontaining 0 to 12.2 grams of white vinegar standardized to 5% acidity.The dispersions were then placed in sealed glass jars in aboiling/simmering water bath for 20 minutes. After cooling, the taste,tartness, texture and mouthfeel were evaluated. The preparations werethen filtered through filter paper to get a clearer fluid for pHmeasurement. The pH was measured with a portable pH meter. The pH valuesin this example only were corrected for measurement bias using readingsobtained from pH 7.01 and pH 4.01 standards so that reported valuesshould be considered indicative rather than precisely accurate. The pHand sensory observations are shown in Table 3. TABLE 3 Sample Vinegar(g) pH Observations HK7928A 0.0 6.26 Loose scrambled eggs; lots of clearfiltrate; little mealy, dry, gritty; no acidity. HK7928B 3.4 4.85Creamier than 7928A; slight mealy mouthfeels; no acidity; mildest taste.HK7928C 6.7 4.40 Very creamy; smooth; slight vinegary but good taste.HK7928D 9.1 4.30 Not as creamy, strong vinegar taste, too much. HK7928E12.2 4.17 Too strong a vinegar taste, very thin, creamy.

It was concluded that HK7928C was the best of the compositions in thisexample because it had a smooth, creamy mouthfeel, an acceptable tasteand a pH less than 4.6. These results suggested that the optimal acidcontent when using acetic acid at 5% acidity was 6.7 g per 20 g of driedegg yolk. This calculates to be 1.675 grams of 100% acetic acid per 100g dried egg yolk, or 28 mEq. This same amount of acid calculated in mEqfor citric acid monohydrate, would be about 2 grams citric acidmonohydrate per 100 g dried egg yolk.

EXAMPLE 6

This Example illustrates the use of fruit puree to increase the amountof egg yolk that can be incorporated into the food composition and todecrease the amount of added water.

In order to obtain a composition with a higher percentage of egg yolk,398.2 g of dried egg yolk, 129.5 g of vinegar and 601.1 g of applesaucewere combined (dried egg yolk=35.3% of the mixture). The resultantmixture was, however, too thick to get any dispersion of the dried eggyolk into the fluid ingredients. Water was, therefore, added in gradedportions until 550 g were added (dried egg yolk=23.7% of the mixture).The ingredients could then be blended into a homogeneous mixture. Whenthis was cooked at 175° F. to 180° F. for about 20 minutes, the mixturebecame very thick.

Samples of this mixture were transferred to glass jars and cooked in aboiling/simmering water bath for 30 minutes. The resulting food, codedHK7001A, was a very thick and dry; it was not a puree; and it was judgedto be less desirable than formulations in examples 3-5 using lesseramounts of egg-yolk solids.

A 500 g portion of the mixture was combined with an additional 100 g ofapplesauce (dried egg yolk=19.8% of the mixture), blended forhomogeneity and samples placed in glass jars and cooked in aboiling/simmering water bath for 30 minutes. The resulting food, codedHK7001B, was still thick and pasty, but was showing a more appealingflavor and texture. Thus, in order to use the addition of fruit toachieve a more appealing flavor, it is preferable to keep the egg-yolksolids at 20% or less.

Examples 3-6 show that an acceptable approach for preparing acomposition containing egg yolk requires having enough water and acid inthe initial mixture to disperse the dried egg yolks upon blending;blending the mixture to get a smooth dispersion with no lumps;coagulating the egg yolk by cooking the acidified egg-yolk dispersion ata temperature greater than 170° F. (perhaps greater than 175° F.); andblending the heated dispersion containing the coagulated egg yolk tomake a smooth dispersion prior to the final sterilization. Optionally,fruit can be added to improve the flavor.

EXAMPLE 7

This example illustrates a two-phase process for preparing a compositioncontaining 13% dried egg yolks (equivalent 27% whole egg yolks) andfruit.

Using egg yolks containing 12 mg DHA per gram egg-yolk solids, ababy-food preparation containing about 13% dried egg yolk in a 113-gram(4-ounce) jar of a baby-food preparation will provide 150 mg of DHA in100 grams of baby food. The following process was, therefore, designedto prepare a baby-food composition containing 13% dried egg yolk.

This process involved mixing about 35% dried egg yolks with citric acidmonohydrate and then heating the mixture to greater than 175° F. (80°C.) to denature, i.e. coagulate, the egg-yolk protein (Phase I). Thisphase I composition was then mixed with various fruit purees and theresulting organoleptic characteristics assessed.

For the first phase, a master batch of the Phase I Egg-Yolk Preparationwas prepared with 400 g of dried egg yolks, 8 g of citric acid and 730 gof water. The water was added to a large stainless steel bowl. Thecitric acid was dissolved in the water and then the dried egg yolks wereadded. The larger lumps of egg were broken up with a spoon and then themixture was made into a smooth homogeneous dispersion with a BRAUNMULTIMIXER blender. The dried egg-yolk level was 35.15% of the Phase IEgg-Yolk Preparation.

The bowl was then placed atop a pot with boiling water as a doubleboiler. The temperature of the egg-yolk dispersion was brought to 175°F. to 185° F. The dispersion became thick with this heating, so it wasblended several times to disperse the coagulated egg. The egg in contactwith the hot surface of the bowl was more prone to coagulate due to thehigher local temperature.

The dispersion lost about 58 g of water due to evaporation, which wasreplaced after the dispersion was removed from the heat and then blendedinto the dispersion. Afterwards, one sample was placed in a glass jar,sealed and cooked in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes. The remainingPhase I dispersion was refrigerated and held for blending in Phase II.

For Phase II, BEECH-NUT baby fruit puree heated to 150° F., 315 g, wasblended with 185 g of the Phase I Egg-Yolk Preparation, to yield 13.0%dried egg yolk in the mixtures. Samples were placed in glass jars,sealed and heated in a boiling/simmering bath for 30 to 35 minutes. Thethree samples produced were as follows: TABLE 4 BEECH-NUT Sample pHFruit Puree Source Product Code HK7005A 4.19 BEECH-NUT Stage 3 Pears6806C1103 HK7005B 4.15 BEECH-NUT Stage 2 Peaches & 7611C1102 BananasHK7005C 4.02 BEECH-NUT Stage 2 Pears & 7616E1522/24 Raspberries

Three jars of each sample were submitted for taste testing. As shown inTable 5, the preparations were reported to taste sour and to be not verypalatable. TABLE 5 Flavor Evaluation Samples (5 evaluators) HK7005A 3 -not good 1 - okay 1 - “funny taste” HK7005B 4 - okay 1 - not goodHK7005C 4 - not good 1 - okay

EXAMPLE 8

This example illustrates the preparation of a low-acid egg-yolkcomposition using sweet potato puree.

The composition in this example (HK7026) was prepared using thefollowing components in the percentages given as volume percent: sweetpotato puree, 55% (BEECH-NUT Stage 3 Sweet Potatoes, 7313B0755); driedegg yolks, 15%; heavy cream, 5% (40% fat; ingredients milk and cream);ground cinnamon, 0.1%; and water, 24.9% (warm, about 120 degrees). Thewater, heavy cream, warmed sweet potato puree, and cinnamon werecombined in a blender bowl and the dried egg yolk was added. The mixturewas blended and the egg yolk was easily dispersed in one minute.

The mixture was then transferred to a double boiler and heated to 180°F. with stirring. The coagulated material was then blended to produce afine dispersion which was readily achieved. The puree was transferred tosmall Mason jars and retorted for 60 minutes at 15 psig using a homepressure cooker.

The resultant puree had a dried-out, curdled appearance suggesting thatit may have lost some liquid in the pressure cooking process. It ispossible that a lower level of heavy cream such as 2.5% could diminishthe apparent drying out of the puree. The combination of heating in thehome pressure cooker and air entrapment in the purees resulted intextures that were undesirable in appearance. The pH after processingwas 5.41.

The process was replicated in a pilot plant, however, again the productappeared curdled and undesirable in appearance in the jar. Because inprevious work, adding zinc salt reduced the sulfurous odor and taste ofcooked egg yolk, zinc chloride was added to the composition prepared inthe pilot plant. As a result the pilot plant preparation had no egg-liketaste or smell.

EXAMPLE 9

This example illustrates the effects of adding the acidulant, phosphoricacid, on organoleptic properties of the composition.

Four test kitchen samples were prepared containing 15% dried egg yolks,6% medium grain rice flour and 0.011% zinc chloride and the effect ofstep-wise addition of phosphoric acid acidulant on product appearanceand taste was assessed. The ingredients were combined with water andblended to a smooth consistency, the pH was adjusted with phosphoricacid to the appropriate pH between 6.15 and 4.15 and the mixture heatedto 190° F. to coagulate the egg protein. The mixture was then blendedagain to a smooth consistency and retorted for 50 min at 250° F. forpreparations having a pH greater than 4.6 and at 212° F. forpreparations having a pH less than 4.6. The samples were tested fortitratable acidity (post processing), pH (before and after processing)and for color using a Hunterlab calorimeter. The Hunterlab calorimeterquantitated reflectance on an L, a, and b coordinate system. The Lcoordinate axis measured lightedness on a scale increasing fromdarkness-to-lightness; the a axis measured increasing values on acontinuum from green to red; and the b axis measured increasing valueson a continuum from blue to yellow. The results are shown in Table 6.TABLE 6 TK141A TK141B TK141C TK141D Dried Egg 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00Yolk, % Rice Flour, % 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 Acid added None phosphoricphosphoric Phosphoric Acid-added % 0.00 0.12 0.19 0.38 Titratableacidity, 0.082 0.250 0.329 0.534 % Unprocessed pH 6.15 5.10 4.70 4.15Processed pH 5.93 5.13 4.75 4.25 Retort 250 250 250 212 temperature, °F. Hunterlab “L” 63.79 66.78 68.82 78.71 Hunterlab “a” 3.79 5.06 4.590.28 Hunterlab “b” 23.10 24.76 24.39 23.35

Sample TK141D had the lightest color (highest Hunterlab L value),probably because of the lower retorting temperature of 212° F.

Samples TK141B, TK141C and TK141D were found to have a smoother texturethan sample TK141A. The samples were then tested for organolepticacceptability. The observations are summarized below:

Sensory Evaluation

TK141A

Appearance in the jar (unopened): heavily curdled, water separation,starch separated, hard plug, dark, and starch gel surrounds plug

Appearance on opening: slimy look on top, plug shrunken away from glass

Odor/smell upon opening: slight cooked egg odor

Appearance on mixing: looks terrible, starch glistening, darkish

Mouthfeel: slightly gritty (better than it looked but well-stirred)

Taste: bland, slight cooked egg taste

TK141B

Appearance in the jar (unopened): finer curd, softer plug, sloppy starchglop at bottom, slightly lighter

Appearance on opening: curdled top, grainy surface

Odor/smell upon opening: cooked egg odor

Appearance on mixing: very curdled and grainy, not attractive, lightercolor than A

Mouthfeel: grainy, particles softer than A

Taste: bland, cooked egg taste

TK141C

Appearance in the jar (unopened): much finer curd, yellow, less dark,and some starch separation, water separation, soft plug

Appearance on opening: nice yellow color, egg salad textural appearance,flows like baby food, soft plug

Odor/smell upon opening: slight cooked egg odor

Appearance on mixing: grainy, starch gel pieces

Mouthfeel: soft, smooth despite visual appearance of lumps

Taste: slightly tart, not bad

TK141D

Appearance in the jar (unopened): light yellow (great color), looks likesome air bubbles with no obvious curd, no water or starch separation

Appearance on opening: skin on top, creamy color (more white/lessyellow)

Odor/smell upon opening: very slight cooked egg odor

Appearance on mixing: viscous, very thick, grainy, not bad

Mouthfeel: very smooth

Taste: moderately tart, not bad

It was concluded from this experiment that acidification improvesmouthfeel and appearance, in particular, the color of the composition.Reducing the pH to less than pH 4.6 permitted retorting at 212° F. inthe sterilization process and this is apparently why the color of TK141Dwas much lighter than the other preparations as indicated by the higherHunterlab L value.

EXAMPLE 10

The following example illustrates the comparison of three food acidacidulants, phosphoric acid, citric acid and vinegar, which aregenerally recognized as safe for use in baby-food preparations by theU.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Except for the acidulant, compositions were prepared according to theformulations in Example 8 to contain 15% dried egg yolks, 6% mediumgrain rice flour and 0.011% zinc chloride. The acidulants used were 85%phosphoric acid, citric acid monohydrate or vinegar standardized to 5%acidity. The pH of the compositions was adjusted to approximately pH4.15. The ingredients were combined with water and blended to a smoothconsistency, the pH was adjusted to pH 4.15 to 4.20 with the appropriateacid and the mixture was heated to 180° F. for 5 minutes to coagulatethe egg protein. The mixtures were then blended again to a smoothconsistency and retorted at 212° F. for 50 minutes.

Experimental samples were evaluated for Flavor and Mouthfeel/Texture ona standard nine-point hedonic scale. The scale is as follows:Score/rating Std. Hedonic Scale 9 I like extremely 8 I like very much 7I like moderately 6 I like slightly 5 I neither like nor dislike 4 Idislike slightly 3 I dislike moderately 2 I dislike very much 1 Idislike extremely

The results are shown in Table 7. TABLE 7 TK141D TK159A TK159B TK159CDried Egg Yolk, % 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 Rice Flour, % 6.00 6.00 6.006.00 Acid Added phosphoric phosphoric citric vinegar Acid added, % 0.380.37 0.39 10.64 Unprocessed pH 4.15 4.16 4.15 4.17 Processed pH 4.254.28 4.25 4.27 Retort temperature, 212 212 212 212 ° F. Hunterlab “L”78.71 74.75 74.06 76.55 Hunterlab “a” 0.28 1.08 1.10 0.81 Hunterlab “b”23.35 23.87 25.16 23.47 Flavor (nine-point 2.05 2.89 2.44 1.22 scale)Mouthfeel/Texture 3.84 5.66 6.67 6.33 (nine-point scale)

As shown in the table, TK159C, made with white vinegar, had the worsttaste. Phosphoric acid and citric acid were roughly similar on taste andcitric acid may be slightly better for mouthfeel. Samples made with allthree acids, which were retorted at 212° F., had good light yellowcolors.

Although sample TK159A containing phosphoric acid was most acceptable ontaste, citric acid is preferred for use as the acidulant rather thanphosphoric acid. TK141D contained 0.38% phosphoric acid and TK159Acontained 0.37% phosphoric acid. Since 85% phosphoric acid containsabout 26% phosphorus, these two samples would contain about 112milligrams of added phosphorus in a four-ounce jar (0.38%=380 mg %; 380mg/100 g×113g×0.26% P=112 mg P/jar). Egg yolks already contain about 100milligrams of phosphorus per medium egg yolk, which weights 17 g. A 15%dried egg-yolk composition contains the equivalent of 30% liquid eggyolk, or 33.9 g (two egg yolks) per four-ounce (113 gram) jar, whichsupply 200 mg of phosphorus just from the two egg yolks. The recommendeddaily intake (RDI) for phosphorus for the infant is 500 mg, so a foodacidified with phosphoric acid would provide 60% of the recommendeddaily intake (“RDI”) of phosphorus. Food acidified with any other acidwould still provide 40% of the phosphorus RDI, derived from the egg yolkalone.

EXAMPLE 11

This example illustrates the effect of retort temperature and sugarcontent on the organoleptic properties of compositions.

Except for the acidulant used, compositions were prepared according tothe formulations in Example 8 to contain 15% dried egg yolks, 6% mediumgrain rice flour and 0.011% zinc chloride. Where required, citric acidwas used to adjust to pH and table sugar was added at 9%. Theingredients were combined with water and blended to a smoothconsistency, the pH was adjusted with citric acid monohydrate to pH 4.15to 4.20 as appropriate and the mixture was heated to 180° F. for 5minutes to coagulate the egg protein, blended again to a smoothconsistency and retorted for 50 minutes at either 250° F. or 212° F. Inorder to assess the effect of temperature on the compositions, TK162Band TK159B, which were otherwise equivalent preparations, were retortedat 250° F., respectively. Because the pH of the composition determinesthe required retort temperature, i.e., compositions having a pH greater4.6 need to be retorted at 250° F. and compositions having a pH of 4.6or less need only to be retorted at 212° F., reference compositionTK141A having pH of about 6 was compared to composition TK162B in orderto compare the effect of added acid and retort temperature onorganoleptic characteristics of the composition. Finally, compositionTK162C was prepared in the same manner as TK159B except that 9% sugarwas added to test the effect on organoleptic characteristics of thecomposition. The results are shown in Table 8. TABLE 8 TK141A TK162BTK159B TK162C Dried Egg 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 Yolk, % Rice Flour, %6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 Sugar, % none none none 9.00 Acid added, % nonecitric (0.38) citric (0.39) citric (0.38) Unprocessed pH 6.15 4.15 4.154.15 Processed pH 5.93 4.25 4.25 4.25 Retort 250 250 212 212temperature, ° F. Hunterlab “L” 63.79 68.65 74.06 73.11 Hunterlab “a”3.79 4.87 1.10 1.71 Hunterlab “b” 23.10 24.80 25.16 25.32 Flavor (nine-3.84 1.95 2.44 4.86 point scale) Mouthfeel/ 4.53 4.00 6.67 6.64 Texturenine- point scale)

The results from these compositions show that acidifying the compositiondetracts from flavor by introducing a strong tartness but enhances colorretention, even when the acidified sample is retorted at 250F. Retortingat a lower temperature is most favorable for maintaining a light color,i.e., higher Hunterlab “L” values. Processing at a lower temperaturealso favors a better mouthfeel and texture. The experiment above furthershowed that flavor can be improved by adding sugar to balance the addedacid. The 9% sugar level in this model system yielded a relativelyneutral flavor score of 4.86.

EXAMPLE 12

This example illustrates baby-food compositions containing 15% dried eggyolk, citric acid monohydrate as acidulant, zinc chloride and variousfruit purees or juices as sugar sources.

The compositions in this example were prepared essentially as describedabove in examples 3-10 which was, briefly, as follows. All ingredientsexcept the citric acid were combined and blended together. The pH wasthen determined and adjusted to pH 4.25 or less with citric acid. Themixture was then transferred to a double boiler and heated to 170° F. to180° F. to coagulate the egg protein. The hot mixture was then blendedagain until smooth and filled at 150° F. into glass jars which werecapped and processed for 50 to 55 minutes at the indicated temperature.The compositions were as shown in Table 9. TABLE 9 Ingredient TK152TK153A TK153B TK153C TK154B TK154C TK155 Dried Egg Yolk 15.00 15.0015.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 Apple Puree — 55.00 58.00 55.00 — — 25.00Pear Puree — — — — 57.00 59.00 — Sweet Potato puree — — — — — — 25.00Yogurt 25.00 — — — — — 15.00 Grape jc. Conc. 10.00 — — — 5.00 3.00 —Apple jc. Conc. — 7.00 7.00 7.00 — — 10.00 Rice flour, med. Grain 3.003.00 — 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 Cinnamon — — — 0.045 — — — Zinc chloride0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.011 Citric acid to: pH 4.23 pH4.23 pH 4.26 pH 4.26 pH 4.24 pH 4.23 pH 4.25 Water q.s. 100 q.s. 100q.s. 100 q.s. 100 q.s. 100 q.s. 100 q.s. 100 Retort temp. ° F. 250° F.212° F. 212° F. 212° F. 212° F. 212° F. 212° F. Titratable acid, % —0.414 0.437 0.560 0.515 0.469 0.810 Total sugars, % — 7.7 8.9 7.3 5.94.8 7.7

Composition TK153C was judged the best on flavor, which is probably dueto the additional cinnamon flavor notes which effectively neutralizedthe cooked egg-yolk flavors.

EXAMPLE 13

This example illustrates further testing of composition TK153C fororganoleptic acceptability.

TK153C was prepared as described in Example 11 and coded as TK163 fororganoleptic analysis by a trained panel of 22 panelists using anine-point hedonic scale as described in Example 9. TK163 was evaluatedfor Appearance/Color, Flavor and Mouthfeel/Texture on a nine-point scalehedonic scale. The results are shown in Table 9 below. TABLE 10Attribute Mean Value Appearance/Color 5.95 Flavor 5.95 Mouthfeel/Texture6.23

Since the average hedonic score was above neutral for each of the threetested organoleptic characteristics, sample TK163 was deemed to be anorganoleptically acceptable baby-food preparation containing 15% driedegg yolk.

EXAMPLE 14

This example illustrates a testing procedure that could be used todetermine the organoleptic acceptability of baby-food composition toinfants.

Informed consent would be obtained from the parents of the infantsinvolved in the study. Testing would be in a double-blind, randomizedcontrolled study. Approximately 10 full-term infants of ages from about4 months to about 12 months would be fed a series of baby-foodcomposition including a composition containing egg yolk and a controlstandard baby-food composition known to be accepted by infants. Thiscontrol composition will serve as a reference for organolepticacceptability. The baby-food compositions can be prepared, for example,by the methods identified in Examples 3-12 above.

General data on the infants would be obtained and recorded such as ageand weight. In addition, background information would be obtained fromthe parent which would generally identify food preferences or aversionsas well as eating habits of the family of the test infant. Subjectswould be randomly assigned to one of the two feeding groups. The testwould involve feeding of the infant by the adult parent. The parentwould record the acceptability and tolerance of the infant toward thebaby food including amount offered, amount consumed and amount refusedby the babies. All digestive problems, such as vomiting, spitting up,and diarrhea would be noted. Acceptability would be scored by themothers in a questionnaire which uses a nine-point hedonic scale asillustrated in Example 9 above (see also Stone and Sidel, SensoryEvaluation Practices, Academic Press, Inc., Orlando, 1985, pp. 58-86).The mothers would indicate acceptance or aversion based on the responsesof the infants to the food. The results would then be analyzed andegg-yolk compositions showing acceptance comparable to or greater thanthat of standard baby food would be considered suitable for use as aninfant food.

EXAMPLE 15

This example illustrates an egg yolk containing composition of peaches,oatmeal and cinnamon in which the acidulant is comprised of an acidicfruit component of peach puree and white grape juice along with ascorbicacid.

This study, identified as PP6300, was a pilot plant scale up of anearlier Test Kitchen sample, TK341C. TK341C was evaluated by a panel offive (5) tasters and found to have an acceptable taste.

Single-strength peach puree, 82.5 lb., was added to a kettle equippedwith a swept-surface heating capability. The puree was heated to atemperature of 160° F. to 170° F. using the hot water jacket. Fifty-five(55) pounds of this hot peach puree were weighed and transferred to asecond kettle.

Ferrous sulfate heptahydrate, 0.03 lb. (13.62 g), and citric acid, 0.02lb. (9.08 grams), were dissolved in a portion of the batch water to forma complex of ferrous iron and citric acid. Seven pounds of white grapejuice concentrate, 6.67 lb. of dried egg-yolk powder, 2.0 lb. of oatflakes, 0.04 lb. of ascorbic acid, 0.45 lb. of ground cinnamon, 0.02 lb.(9.08 g) of vitamin premix and 0.011 lb. (5.0 g) of zinc sulfate wereadded to 18.07 lb. of batch water in the second kettle containing 55pounds of peach puree and made into a slurry with the hot peach puree.The ferrous sulfate-citric acid solution was added and mixing wascontinued.

The slurry was passed through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a blank ring and transferred to a Koven kettle. Afteradditional mixing, the pH was measured and found to be pH 4.04. Thepeach puree and white grape juice concentrate contributed sufficientacidity so that addition of a specific acidulant was unnecessary. Theslurry was heated to a temperature of 180° F. to 190° F. by steaminjection, adding about 10 lb. of water to the batch via condensation.The slurry was passed twice through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No.MC-12, equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring and strained through a 0.033″screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 150°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 212°F. for 30 minutes to achieve pasteurization in accordance with 21 C.F.R.§ 114 et seq. “Acidified Foods.” The pH of PP6300 on the day afterprocessing was 4.34.

EXAMPLE 16

This example illustrates pilot plant production of an egg yolkcontaining chicken lasagna composition (PP6627) in which the acidulantis comprised of tomato puree.

Water was heated in an open kettle to 200° F. and 11.25 lb. of mafaldapasta was blanched therein for 10 minutes to achieve hydration. Theblanched pasta was then drained and rinsed with cold water. The weightof the blanched pasta was 26.65 lb.

Forty and one-quarter lb. of frozen carrot pieces were placed in aFitzpatrick Comminutor, Model No. D, at medium speed and an exittemperature of 180° F. to 200° F. (190° F. target). Approximately 6 lb.of water were added through steam injection, resulting in a total pureeweight of 47 lb. The spinning knives in the Comminutor and the injectedsteam comminuted the carrots into a puree that passes through a 3/16″ or¼″ screen.

Thirty-five pounds of tomato paste, 26.65 lb. of blanched mafalda pasta,20.12 lb. of carrot puree, 17.88 lb. of finely ground chicken, 16.68 lb.of dried egg-yolk powder, and 12.5 lb. of grated Romano cheese wereadded to 91.17 lb. of batch water in a kettle and mixed into a slurry.

The slurry was passed through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a blank ring and transferred to a Koven kettle. Afteradditional mixing, the pH was measured and found to be pH 5.0 due to theacidity contributed by the tomato paste. The slurry was heated to atemperature of 180° F. to 190° F. by steam injection, adding about 30lb. of water to the batch via condensation. The slurry was passed twicethrough a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12 equipped with a 0.05-0.10mm ring and strained through a 0.033″ screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 170°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 250°F. for 45 minutes as required by 21 C.F.R. § 113 et seq. “ThermallyProcessed Low-Acid Foods Packaged in Hermetically Sealed Containers.”The pH of PP6627 on the day after processing was 4.96.

PP6627 was evaluated by a trained individual for Flavor on a nine-pointscale. A score of “5” means “I neither like nor dislike” and a score of“6” means “I like slightly.” PP6627 was given a score of “6” on thisFlavor scale.

EXAMPLE 17

This example illustrates pilot plant production of an egg yolkcontaining pear berry medley composition (PP6331) in which the acidulantis comprised of pear puree, white grape juice, red raspberry puree,elderberry juice concentrate and ascorbic acid.

This study was a pilot plant scale up of an earlier Test Kitchen sample,TK337C. TK337C was evaluated by a panel of five (5) tasters and found tohave a highly acceptable taste by all five tasters.

Single-strength pear puree, 125 lb., was added to a kettle equipped witha swept-surface heating capability. The puree was heated to atemperature of 160° F. to 170° F. using the hot water jacket. Onehundred and eleven pounds of this hot pear puree were weighed andtransferred to a second Kettle.

Twenty-five pounds of white grape juice concentrate, 16.68 lb. of driedegg-yolk powder, 20.0 lb. of red raspberry puree, 14.0 lb. of heavycream, 12.5 lb. of full-fat yogurt, 8.75 lb. of medium grain rice flour,7.5 lb. of fresh whole milk, 3.75 lb. of elderberry juice concentrate,0.1 lb. of ascorbic acid, 0.0275 lb. of zinc sulfate were added to thepear puree and 13.2 lb. of batch water in the second kettle and mixedinto a slurry.

The slurry was passed through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a blank ring and transferred to a Koven kettle. Afteradditional mixing, the pH was measured and found to be pH 4.14. Theacidic nature of the peach puree and white grape juice concentratecreated sufficient acidity so that addition of a specific acidulant wasunnecessary. The slurry was heated to a temperature of 180° F. to 190°F. by steam injection, adding about 17.5 lb. of water to the batch viacondensation. The slurry was passed twice through a Stephan Microcutter,Model No. MC-12, equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring and strained througha 0.033″ screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 150°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 212°F. for 30 minutes to achieve pasteurization in accordance with 21 C.F.R.§ 114 et seq. “Acidified Foods.” The pH of PP6331 on the day afterprocessing was 4.08.

EXAMPLE 18

This example illustrates a DHA-enriched egg yolk-containing compositionof “rice cereal & apples.” This composition, identified as PP6685, wasproduced in a pilot plant.

Single-strength apple puree, 55 lb., was added to a kettle equipped witha swept-surface heating capability. The puree was heated to atemperature of 160° F. to 170° F. using the hot water jacket.

Seven pounds of apple juice concentrate, 12.0 lb. of DHA-enriched driedegg-yolk powder, 2.0 lb. of medium grain rice flour, 0.04 lb. ofascorbic acid, 0.045 lb. of ground cinnamon, 0.02 lb. (9.08 g) ofvitamin premix, and 0.011 lb. (5.0 g) of zinc sulfate were mixed with 17lb. of batch water and the 55 pounds of hot apple puree. Ferrous sulfateheptahydrate, 0.03 lb. (13.62 g), and citric acid, 0.02 lb. (9.08grams), were dissolved in a portion of the batch water to form a complexof ferrous iron and citric acid. The ferrous sulfate-citric acidsolution was added and mixing was continued.

The slurry was passed through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a blank ring and transferred to a Koven kettle. Afteradditional mixing, the pH was measured and found to be pH 4.18. Fortygrams of citric acid were added to achieve a pH less than 4.05. Theslurry was heated to a temperature of 190° F. by steam injection; about6.84 lb. of water were added to the batch via condensation of the steam.The slurry was made to 100 lb. by adding 6.6 lb. of water. The slurrywas passed twice through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring, and then was strained through a 0.033inch screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 132°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 212°F. for 30 minutes to achieve pasteurization in accordance with 21 C.F.R.§ 114 et seq. “Acidified Foods.” The pH of PP6685 on the day afterprocessing was 4.00.

EXAMPLE 19

This example illustrates a control composition of “rice cereal & apples”that contained no egg yolk. This composition, identified as PP6684, wasproduced in the pilot plant.

Single-strength apple puree, 60 lb., was added to a kettle equipped witha swept-surface heating capability. The puree was heated to atemperature of 160° F. to 170° F. using the hot water jacket.

Seven pounds of apple juice concentrate, 6.0 lb. of medium grain riceflour, 0.04 lb. of ascorbic acid, 0.045 lb. of ground cinnamon, 0.02 lb.(9.08 g) of vitamin premix, and 0.011 lb. (5.0 g) of zinc sulfate weremixed with 20 lb. of batch water and the 55 pounds of hot apple puree.Ferrous sulfate heptahydrate, 0.03 lb. (13.62 g), and citric acid, 0.02lb. (9.08 grams), were dissolved in a portion of the batch water to forma complex of ferrous iron and citric acid. The ferrous sulfate-citricacid solution was added and mixing was continued.

The slurry was passed through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a blank ring and transferred to a Koven kettle. Afteradditional mixing, the pH was measured and found to be pH 3.48. Theacidic nature of the apple puree and apple juice concentrate createdsufficient acidity so that addition of a specific acidulant wasunnecessary. The slurry was heated to a temperature of 190° F. by steaminjection, adding about 6.84 lb. of water to the batch via condensationof the steam. The slurry was made to 100 lb. by adding 1.0 lb. of water.The slurry was passed twice through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No.MC-12, equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring, and then was strained througha 0.033″ screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 140°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 212°F. for 30 minutes to achieve pasteurization in accordance with 21 C.F.R.§ 114 et seq. “Acidified Foods.” The pH of PP6684 on the day afterprocessing was 3.50.

EXAMPLE 20

This example illustrates a DHA-enriched egg yolk-containing compositionof “oatmeal & pears.” This composition, identified as PP6687, wasproduced in a pilot plant.

Single-strength pear puree, 60 lb., was added to a kettle equipped witha swept-surface heating capability. The puree was heated to atemperature of 160° F. to 170° F. using the hot water jacket.

Seven pounds of pear juice concentrate, 12.0 lb. of DHA-enriched driedegg yolk powder, 2.0 lb. of baby oat flakes, 0.50 lb. of frozen blanchedginger, 0.04 lb. of ascorbic acid, 0.02 lb. (9.08 g) of vitamin premix,and 0.011 lb. (5.0 g) of zinc sulfate were mixed with 12 lb. of batchwater and the 60 pounds of hot pear puree. Ferrous sulfate heptahydrate,0.03 lb. (13.62 g), and citric acid, 0.02 lb. (9.08 grams), weredissolved in a portion of the batch water to form a complex of ferrousiron and citric acid. The ferrous sulfate-citric acid solution was addedand mixing was continued.

The slurry was passed through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a blank ring and transferred to a Koven kettle. Afteradditional mixing, the pH was measured and found to be pH 4.17.Forty-five grams of citric acid were added to achieve an unprocessed pHless than 4.05. The slurry was heated to a temperature of 190° F. bysteam injection, adding about 6.44 lb. of water to the batch viacondensation of the steam. The slurry was made to 100 lb. by adding 5.6lb. of water. The slurry was passed twice through a Stephan Microcutter,Model No. MC-12, equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring, and then wasstrained through a 0.033 inch screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 130°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 212°F. for 30 minutes to achieve pasteurization in accordance with 21 C.F.R.§ 114 et seq., “Acidified Foods.” The pH of PP6687 on the day afterprocessing was 4.09.

EXAMPLE 21

This example illustrates a control composition of “oatmeal & pears” thatwas free of egg yolk. This composition, identified as PP6686, wasproduced in the pilot plant.

Single-strength pear puree, 60 lb., was added to a kettle equipped witha swept-surface heating capability. The puree was heated to atemperature of 160° F. to 170° F. using the hot water jacket.

Seven pounds of pear juice concentrate, 6.0 lb. of baby oat flakes, 0.04lb. of ascorbic acid, 0.50 lb. of frozen blanched ginger, 0.02 lb. (9.08g) of vitamin premix, and 0.011 lb. (5.0 g) of zinc sulfate were mixedwith 20 lb. of batch water and the 60 pounds of hot pear puree. Ferroussulfate heptahydrate, 0.03 lb. (13.62 g), and citric acid, 0.02 lb.(9.08 grams), were dissolved in a portion of the batch water to form acomplex of ferrous iron and citric acid. The ferrous sulfate-citric acidsolution was added and mixing was continued.

The slurry was passed through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a blank ring and transferred to a Koven kettle. Afteradditional mixing, the pH was measured and found to be pH 3.71. Theacidic nature of the pear puree and pear juice concentrate createdsufficient acidity so that addition of a specific acidulant wasunnecessary. The slurry was heated to a temperature of 190° F. by steaminjection, adding about 6.38 lb. of water to the batch via condensationof the steam. The slurry was made to 100 lb. by adding 2.0 lb. of water.The slurry was passed twice through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No.MC-12, equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring, and then was strained througha 0.033″ screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 133°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 212°F. for 30 minutes to achieve pasteurization in accordance with 21 C.F.R.§ 114 et seq. “Acidified Foods.” The pH of PP6686 on the day afterprocessing was 3.78.

EXAMPLE 22

This example illustrates a DHA-enriched egg yolk-containing compositionof “pear berry medley.” This composition, identified as PP6690, wasproduced in a pilot plant.

Single-strength pear puree was added to a kettle equipped with aswept-surface heating capability. The puree was heated to a temperatureof 160° F. to 180° F. using the hot water jacket. Hot pear puree, 44.4lb., was weighed and transferred to a second kettle. Ten pounds of whitegrape juice concentrate, 12.0 lb. of dried egg yolk powder, 10.0 lb. ofred raspberry puree, 5.6 lb. of heavy cream, 5.0 lb. of full fat yogurt,0.8 lb. of medium grain rice flour, 3.0 lb. of fresh whole milk, 2.0 lb.of elderberry juice concentrate, 0.04 lb. of ascorbic acid, and 0.01 lb.of zinc sulfate were added to the pear puree and mixed into a slurry.

The slurry was passed through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a blank ring and transferred to a Koven kettle. Afteradditional mixing, the pH was measured and found to be pH 4.28.Seventy-five grams of citric acid were added to achieve an unprocessedpH less than 4.15. The slurry was heated to a temperature of 180° F. to185° F. by steam injection, adding about 7.2 lb. of water to the batchvia condensation of the steam. The slurry was made to 100 lb. by adding2.6 lb. of water. The slurry was passed twice through a StephanMicrocutter, Model No. MC-12, equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring, andstrained through a 0.033 inch screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 133°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 212°F. for 30 minutes to achieve pasteurization in accordance with 21 C.F.R.§ 114 et seq. “Acidified Foods.” The pH of PP6690 on the day afterprocessing was 3.95.

EXAMPLE 23

This example illustrates pilot plant production of a control pear berrymedley composition (PP6688) free of egg yolk.

Single-strength pear puree was added to a kettle equipped with aswept-surface heating capability. The puree was heated to a temperatureof 160° F. to 170° F. using the hot water jacket. Hot pear puree, 44.4lb., was weighed and transferred to a second kettle. Ten pounds of whitegrape juice concentrate, 10.0 lb. of red raspberry puree, 5.6 lb. ofheavy cream, 5.0 lb. of full fat yogurt, 8.0 lb. of medium grain riceflour, 3.0 lb. of fresh whole milk, 0.5 lb. of elderberry juiceconcentrate, 0.04 lb. of ascorbic acid, and 0.01 lb. of zinc sulfatewere added to the pear puree and 7.5 lb. of batch water in the secondkettle and mixed into a slurry.

The slurry was passed through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a blank ring and transferred to a Koven kettle. Afteradditional mixing, the pH was measured and found to be pH 3.74. Theslurry was heated to a temperature of 180° F. to 185° F. by steaminjection, adding about 6 lb. of water to the batch via condensation ofthe steam. The slurry was made to 100 lb. by adding 2.0 lb. of water.The slurry was passed twice through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No.MC-12, equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring, and strained through a 0.033″screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 144°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 212°F. for 30 minutes to achieve pasteurization in accordance with 21 C.F.R.§ 114 et seq. “Acidified Foods.” The pH of PP6688 on the day afterprocessing was 3.69.

EXAMPLE 24

This example illustrates pilot plant production of a DHA-enriched eggyolk composition described as “carrot medley”, which contains no addedacidulant. This composition, identified as PP6656, was produced in apilot plant.

Carrot puree is prepared by processing frozen carrots in a FitzpatrickComminutor, Model No. FASO-20, operating at slow speed and a temperatureof 200° F. to 205° F. (205° F. target) with a 3/16″ or ¼″ screen. Thepuree is strained by passing it through a Stephan Microcutter, ModelNo.100 or 100DII, equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring. The soluble sugarcontent of such a carrot puree was adjusted to 20°Brix by adding carrotjuice concentrate. Sixty pounds of this Brix-adjusted carrot puree weretransferred to a Koven Kettle capable of holding 300 lb. of product.

Twelve pounds of DHA-enriched dried egg yolk, 3.0 lb. of medium grainrice flour, and 0.01 lb. of zinc sulfate were stirred into the carrotpuree along with 20 lb. of batch water.

The slurry was passed through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a blank ring and transferred to a Koven kettle. The slurrywas heated to a temperature of 180° F. to 190° F. by steam injection,adding about 5 lb. of water to the batch via condensation of the steam.The slurry was made to 100 lb. by adding 2.0 lb. of water. The slurrywas passed twice through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12 equippedwith a 0.05-0.10 mm ring, and then strained through a 0.033 inch screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 138°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 250°F. for 40 minutes as required by 21 C.F.R. § 113 et seq. “ThermallyProcessed Low-Acid Foods Packaged in Hermetically Sealed Containers.”The pH of PP6656 on the day after processing was 5.49.

EXAMPLE 25

This example illustrates pilot plant production of an egg yolk-freecontrol composition described as “carrot medley.” This composition,identified as PP6654, was produced in the pilot plant.

Carrot puree is prepared by processing frozen carrots in a FitzpatrickComminutor, Model No. FASO-20, operating at slow speed and a temperatureof 200° F. to 205° F. (205° F. target) with a 3/16″ or ¼″ screen. Thepuree is strained by passing it through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No.100 or 100DII, equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring. The soluble sugarcontent of such a carrot puree was adjusted to 20°Brix by adding carrotjuice concentrate. Ninety-two pounds of this Brix-adjusted carrot pureewere transferred to a Koven Kettle capable of holding 300 lb. ofproduct.

Three pounds of medium grain rice flour and 0.01 lb. of zinc sulfatewere stirred into the pea puree. The slurry was passed through a StephanMicrocutter, Model No. MC-12, equipped with a blank ring and transferredto a Koven kettle. The slurry was heated to a temperature of 180° F. to190° F. by steam injection, adding about 5 lb. of water to the batch viacondensation of the steam. The slurry was made to 100 lb. by adding 6lb. of water. The slurry was passed twice through a Stephan Microcutter,Model No. MC-12 equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring, and then strainedthrough a 0.033″ screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 110°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 250°F. for 40 minutes as required by 21 C.F.R. § 113 et seq. “ThermallyProcessed Low-Acid Foods Packaged in Hermetically Sealed Containers.”The pH of PP6654 on the day after processing was 5.04.

EXAMPLE 26

This example illustrates pilot plant production of a DHA-enriched eggyolk composition described as “sweet pea medley”, which contained noadded acidulant. This composition, identified as PP6673, was produced ina pilot plant.

Pea puree is prepared by processing frozen peas in a FitzpatrickComminutor, Model No. FASO-20, operating at slow speed and a temperatureof 200° F. to 205° F. (205° F. target) with a 3/16″ or ¼″ screen. Thepuree is strained by passing it through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No.100 or 100DII, equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring. Sixty pounds of such apea puree were transferred to a Koven Kettle capable of holding 300 lb.of product.

Twelve pounds of DHA-enriched dried egg yolk, 1 lb. of medium grain riceflour, and 0.01 lb. of zinc sulfate were stirred into the pea pureealong with 20 lb. of batch water.

The slurry was passed through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12,equipped with a blank ring, and transferred to a Koven kettle. Theslurry was heated to a temperature of 190° F. by steam injection, addingabout 5 lb. of water to the batch via condensation of the steam. Theslurry was made to 100 lb. by adding 1.8 lb. of water. The slurry waspassed twice through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12 equippedwith a 0.05-0.10 mm ring, and then strained through a 0.033 inch screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 138°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 250°F. for 40 minutes as required by 21 C.F.R. § 113 et seq. “ThermallyProcessed Low-Acid Foods Packaged in Hermetically Sealed Containers.”The pH of PP6673 on the day after processing was 6.03.

EXAMPLE 27

This example illustrates pilot plant production of an egg yolk-freecontrol composition of “sweet pea medley.” This composition, identifiedas PP6671, was produced in the pilot plant.

Pea puree is prepared by processing frozen peas in a FitzpatrickComminutor, Model No. FASO-20, operating at slow speed and a temperatureof 200° F. to 205° F. (205° F. target) with a 3/16″ or ¼″ screen. Thepuree is strained by passing it through a Stephan Microcutter, ModelNo.100 or 100DII, equipped with a 0.05-0.10 mm ring. Ninety-four poundsof such a pea puree were transferred to a Koven Kettle capable ofholding 300 lb. of product.

One pound of medium grain rice flour and 0.01 lb. of zinc sulfate werestirred into the pea puree. The slurry was passed through a StephanMicrocutter, Model No. MC-12, equipped with a blank ring, andtransferred to a Koven kettle. The slurry was heated to a temperature of190° F. by steam injection, adding about 5 lb. of water to the batch viacondensation of the steam. The slurry weighed 100 lb. The slurry waspassed twice through a Stephan Microcutter, Model No. MC-12 equippedwith a 0.05-0.10 mm ring, and then strained through a 0.033″ screen.

The product was filled into 113-gram glass jars at a temperature of 143°F. The jars were then capped and thermally processed in a retort at 250°F. for 40 minutes as required by 21 C.F.R. § 113 et seq. “ThermallyProcessed Low-Acid Foods Packaged in Hermetically Sealed Containers.”The pH of PP6671 on the day after processing was 5.83.

EXAMPLE 28

This example illustrates the effects of feeding semi-solid baby foodcomprising DHA-enriched egg yolk on visual and neural function tohealthy, breast fed term infants.

Healthy breast-feeding infants six months of age were randomly dividedinto two groups. One group received the control baby foods and the otherreceived baby foods containing DHA-enriched egg yolk. Breast feeding wascontinued in both groups for approximately three months afterintroduction of the baby foods into the infants' diets. Fifty-onebreast-fed infants completed the study: 26 in the group received thecontrol baby food and 25 in the group received the baby foods made withDHA-enriched egg yolks.

Semi-solid baby foods containing DHA-enriched egg yolk and control babyfoods were prepared as described in Examples 17-26. Infants in the DHAgroup were fed baby foods prepared from DHA-enriched eggs (see Examples17, 19, 21, 23 and 25). The amount of DHA-enriched egg yolk in thesefoods was sufficient to provide 110 mg of DHA per 100 grams of food.Each glass jar contained 4 ounces (113 grams) of food. Consequently,each jar of baby food made with DHA-enriched egg yolk contained about125 mg of DHA. The control baby foods contained neither egg yolk and norDHA.

The infants were first fed study foods at approximately 26 weeks of age(6 months) and continued to be fed each day until they reached 52 weeksof age (1 year). Breast feeding continued during this six month period,an average of 3.7±2.2 (mean±S.D.) months in the control group and2.8±2.4 (mean±S.D.) months in the DHA group, respectively. Parents wereprovided with semi-solid baby foods prepared as described in Examples17-26. Infants in the DHA group were fed baby foods prepared fromDHA-enriched egg yolks (see Examples 17, 19, 21, 23 and 25). Infants incontrol group received similar baby foods that were, however, madewithout any egg yolks (see Examples 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26). Parents weregiven a target of providing 1 jar per day of study baby food to theirinfant. Compliance was estimated from food intake derived by weighingthe food in each jar that was not consumed and from red blood cell fattyacid content. The gravimetric measure indicated that the group ofbreast-fed infants receiving the baby foods made with DHA-enriched eggyolks consumed an average of 78 mg DHA/day throughout the six-monthtrial period.

Red blood cell fatty acids were measured at enrollment at 26 weeks andat the end of the study at 52 weeks. As shown in Table 11, thebreast-fed infants receiving the control baby foods had an average redblood cell DHA level at 52 weeks of 3.00% of total fatty acids (std.dev.=1.26%) compared to an average of 5.50% (std. dev.=1.67%) for thebreast-fed infants receiving the baby foods made with DHA-enriched eggyolks. This 83% higher red blood cell DHA level of the infants receivingbaby foods made with DHA-enriched egg yolks was statisticallysignificant (P<0.0005). TABLE 11 Baby food fed to Number of Red bloodcell DHA breast-fed infants infants per level, % of total fattyStatistical from 26 to 52 weeks group acids, at 52 weeks of agesignificance Control 26 3.00 ± 1.26 P < 0.0005 DHA-egg yolk 25 5.50 ±1.67

Anthropometric measures, specifically body weight, body length, headcircumference, and sub-scapular and triceps fat-fold thickness, weremonitored at birth, 26 weeks, 39 weeks and at one year of age. Totalantioxidant capacity and basic blood element profiles (i.e., completeblood count, hematocrit, and platelets) were measured at 26 weeks and atthe end of the study (52 weeks).

Visual development was assessed by measuring sweep visual-evokedpotential (VEP) acuity (Hoffman et al., 2003, supra; Birch et al., 2002,supra; Norcia, Vision Res 25: 1399-1408, 1985; Neuringer, Am. J. Clin.Nutrition 71:256S-267S, 2000). Measurements were made at 26, 39, and 52weeks of age. Sweep VEP acuity at these ages in infants is an index ofthe maturation of the retina and visual cortex. As shown in Table 12,VEP acuity at 26 weeks was 0.49 logMAR (logarithm of minutes of arcresolution) and improved to 0.45 logMAR at 39 weeks and to 0.29 logMARat 52 weeks in the breast-fed infants receiving the control baby foods.In the infants receiving the baby foods made with DHA-enriched eggyolks, VEP acuity was 0.48 logMAR at 26 weeks and improved to 0.31logMAR at 39 weeks and to 0.14 logMAR at 52 weeks. Compared to theinfants receiving the control baby foods, the infants receiving the babyfoods made with DHA-enriched egg yolks had improved visual acuity of0.14 logMAR at 39 weeks (P<0.001) and at 52 weeks of age (P<0.0005). TheVEP acuity differences at 39 weeks and 52 weeks, 0.14 logMAR, represent1.5 lines on the eye chart.

VEP acuity at 12 months was correlated with red blood cell DHA levels at12 months (r=−0.38; p=0.006). TABLE 12 Sweep visual-evoked potentialbaby food fed to Number (VEP) acuity (logarithm of breast fed infants ofinfants minutes of arc resolution) from 26 to 52 weeks per group 26weeks 39 weeks 52 weeks Control 26 0.49 0.45 0.29 ± 0.12 DHA-egg yolk 250.48 0.31 0.14 ± 0.13 Statistical significance n.s. P < 0.001 P < 0.0005

Thus, visual and neural function are improved in healthy, breast-fedterm infants by feeding the infants semi-solid baby-food compositionscontaining DHA.

All references cited in this specification are hereby incorporated byreference. Any discussion of references cited herein is intended merelyto summarize the assertions made by their authors and no admission ismade that any reference or portion thereof constitutes relevant priorart. Applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy andpertinency of the cited references.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several advantages of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. Asvarious changes could be made in the above methods and compositionswithout departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

1. A method for improving visual acuity in a breast-fed infant, themethod comprising feeding the infant a shelf-stable, semisolid baby-foodcomposition comprising at least about 50 mg DHA/100 grams ofcomposition.
 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein feeding comprisesfeeding an infant between ages of about 6 months and about 12 months. 3.A method a according to claim 2, wherein feeding comprises feeding aninfant receiving breast milk for about 3 months.
 4. A method accordingto claim 3, wherein visual acuity is improved after about 3 months offeeding.
 5. A method according to claim 3, wherein feeding furthercomprises feeding the infant the composition for about 3 months afterweaning.
 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein visual acuity isimproved after about 6 months of feeding.
 7. A method according to claim1, wherein improved visual acuity comprises improved visual-evokedpotential acuity measured as a reduction in minimum angle of resolution.8. A method according to claim 7, wherein visual acuity is improved ininfants receiving breast milk in addition to the semisolid baby-foodcomposition comprising DHA in comparison to infants receiving breastmilk in addition to a semi-solid baby food composition not substantiallycontaining DHA.
 9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the infant isfed about 78 mg DHA/day.
 10. A method for improving visual acuity in abreast-fed infant, the method comprising: (a) selecting a shelf-stablesemisolid baby-food composition comprising at least about 50 mg DHA/100grams of composition on the basis of the composition increasing visualacuity in breast-fed infants; and (b) feeding the composition to theinfant.
 11. A method according to claim 10, wherein feeding comprisesfeeding an infant between ages of about 6 months and about 12 months.12. A method a according to claim 11, wherein feeding comprises feedingan infant receiving breast milk for about 3 months.
 13. A methodaccording to claim 12, wherein visual acuity is improved after about 3months of feeding.
 14. A method according to claim 12, wherein feedingfurther comprises feeding the infant for about 3 months after weaning.15. A method according to claim 14, wherein visual acuity is improvedafter about 6 months of feeding.
 16. A method according to claim 10,wherein improved visual acuity comprises improved visual-evokedpotential acuity measured as a reduction in minimum angle of resolution.17. A method according to claim 16, wherein visual acuity is improved ininfants receiving breast milk in addition to the semisolid baby-foodcomposition comprising DHA in comparison to infants receiving breastmilk in addition to a semi-solid baby food composition not substantiallycontaining DHA.
 18. A method according to claim 10, wherein the infantis fed about 78 mg DHA/day.
 19. A method for improving visual acuity ina breast-fed infant, the method comprising feeding the infant ashelf-stable, semisolid baby-food composition comprising DHA in anamount that increases red blood cell DHA level in the infant.
 20. Amethod according to claim 19, wherein the red blood cell DHA level isincreased in an infant fed the composition for about 6 months.
 21. Amethod according to claim 19, wherein the composition comprises at leastabout 50 mg DHA/100 grams of composition.
 22. A method according toclaim 19, wherein feeding comprises feeding an infant between ages ofabout 6 months and about 12 months.
 23. A method a according to claim19, wherein feeding comprises feeding an infant receiving breast milkfor about 3 months.
 24. A method according to claim 23, wherein feedingfurther comprises feeding the infant for about 3 months after weaning.25. A method according to claim 24, wherein visual acuity is improvedafter about 6 months of feeding.
 26. A method according to claim 19,wherein improved visual acuity comprises improved visual-evokedpotential acuity measured as a reduction in minimum angle of resolution.27. A method according to claim 26, wherein visual acuity is improved ininfants receiving breast milk in addition to the semisolid baby-foodcomposition comprising DHA in comparison to infants receiving breastmilk in addition to a semi-solid baby food composition not substantiallycontaining DHA.
 28. A method according to claim 19, wherein the infantis fed about 78 mg DHA/day.